We like to start welding workshops off by sharing mistakes we've made recently to get ourselves into the mindset that everyone makes them and that's okay. Welding is super tricky and we let everyone know they are going to make a TON of mistakes all day long.

Then we talk safety and get everyone their first feel of welding!

Axel practices his first welding beads!

Once everyone understands what welding means and how they are going to do it - we go to the drawing board! Here the tinkerers can see what types of metal stock we have and can draw out their designs showing how they want to use it and how much they'll need!

For some people figuring out what to make is the hardest thing they'll do all day.

Jacob's design for a little robot from a video game he plays.

When a design has formed and at least two pieces exist - we can go weld them together!

Jay welds two sides of his box together!

Another tricky part of welding is figuring out how to keep your pieces where you want them so that you can weld them together, plus they have to stay part of the electric circuit. We have magnets and clamps and creativity to help us out.

In addition to figuring out the right pacing, distance, circle width and a bunch of other finicky details to weld we also accidentally welded our projects to the table super well and stuck our projects to the welding wire!

Post welding there are some other fun tools we get to use: the angle grinder to quickly polish and shape your pieces, a file to slowly polish and shape, and Niki got out the wrenches to lock his wheels on the truck he made!

By the end of the day everyone had created a project (or 3) they were excited to take home!